Abstract:
Despite innovations and advancement in drug design, drug delivery and biotechnology, the selection of drug concentrations in topical preparations has remained largely unchanged for the past 40 years. It is doubtful that topical agents are formulated at optimal concentrations, since "Concentrations of 'active' substances in practically all topicals are in the range 1 to 3%, suggesting the influence of fashion rather than of rigorous appraisal . . ." (Marples & Kligman, 1974). The perpetuation of historically derived drug concentrations extends to both antiseptics and topical antibiotics.
